Recalling the "attempted" fashion and designs of the contemporantiquated past

Recalling the "attempted" fashion 
and designs of the ContemporAntiquated past

Well, it seemed to be strange to see formal attires such as these although the left one seemed to be quite nice though as made by an Italian during Mussolini's regime.

Upon looking at these pictures, this writer seemed to be enticing to design gowns or any attires nearly similar to these; not to say that he loves history and art, he loves to draw as to recall some of the drawings being posted in this site months ago.

In fact, in recalling these strange attires, the picture from above somehow tends to recreate the Roman past with some modern appearance, a "ContemporAntiquated" one that tries to bind the contemporary and the antiquated, especially the one that seemed fitting and suitable to so-called "modern living" based from the attempts made years ago.

Quite weird so to speak to see such these deemed as strange and unfit in everybody's eyes. To think that gowns like what the picture shown are oftentimes shown during formal events or in movies, this writer rather say that it was an attempt, yes some similar to that are worn by personalities in a formal event especially actresses during a film festival.

Perhaps, just getting inspired by modernism of the past that made this writer write this post. To think that Italy before seemed to be trying enough to replicate the past and at the same time create modern ones as Mussolini intended, this writer isn't even a Fascist sympathizer to admire some modernist idea to think that even the Soviet union also do so before the war and after Stalin's death.

And least better than how people thinks about the fashion of the past before and during World War II entirely consist of military uniforms. Italy's attempt rather tries to create a showcase that made this writer think that Italy was much enjoyable in making good architecture and fashion than getting ready for war. In fact, Mussolini was fond of monumentalism same as Hitler's and tell to the world about their nation's rebirth emphasising greatness than uplifting the people.

...that made this writer reminds of a motley group of teenagers and young adults trying hard to emulate their idols out of playing video games.

In fact, speaking of uniforms and war-inspired clothing, there are certain individuals and groups fond of uniform-inspired attires as fashion. In Croatia, some tend to replicate the getups of the notorious Ustase movement (known for killing Serbs brutally) especially its headgear and even t-shirts featuring the Ustase symbol.

At first, quite nice yet to think that the Ustase was a notorious organization, to others it is simply a sense of patriotism, right or wrong in its ideals and aspirations as to think about reviving patriotic fervor by replicating historical ones and be pressed into contemporary setting.

However, not all attires this writer had sought are costumy in its appearance.

To think that the only reminder of thine past being used still is the Empire Silhouette, closely inspired by the Greek Peplos during the early 19th century, that example somehow showed the idea of looking at the classical past and reviving it by making it applicable to contemporary setting; quite strange to think of how come Empire Silhouette women wore today is based from the Ancient Greek Peplos  most seen in statues and Amphorae, least that the style is quite nice for curvaceous women to wear the modern Peplos that is the Empire Silhouette.

So much for the so-called "Republican values" that popularize Greek and Roman-inspired art, including fashion such as this picture shown. Strange to see an attempt to replicate the Antiquated, and making it ContemporAntiquated.

Being a lover of history and art made this writer quite thinking how people who loves fashion design are often focusing much in experimenting for the sake of popularizing "high culture." Some of the dresses inspired by the Antiquated past are being resurrected for quite some time and given new life by modifying it, and be worn whether as casual or as formal.

to think that some are wearing empire-waist dresses that is a legacy of the past, especially that seeing ContemporAntiquated designs such as clothing and interiors tend to revive classical ones for modern day living. 

Just like in Architecture, some tend to revisit the past and be inspired by its grandeur and monumentalism the way Hitler tried to in his Germania as well as Mussolini's; but then choosing marble, granite over concrete and other projects deemed as ambitious end up wasted due to the duration of the war.

As according to Wikipedia:

"The fascist style of architecture was very similar to the ancient Roman style. Fascist buildings were generally very large and symmetric with sharp non-rounded edges. The buildings purposefully conveyed a sense of awe and intimidation through their size, and were made of limestone and other durable stones in order to last the entirety of the fascist era. The buildings were also very plain with little or no decoration and lacked any complexity in design."

But on the other hand, to think that the Fascist style of architecture tries to emulate the Roman past, it tries to make it modern and rational, as also stated in Wikipedia:

"Fascist styled architecture is a branch of modernist architecture which became popular in the early 20th century. The fascist style was also greatly influenced by the rationalist movement in Italy in the 1920s. Rationalist architecture, with the help of Italian government support, celebrated the new fascist age of culture and government in Italy."

This edifice, made by Marcello Piacentini, tends to recreate a Romanic past by making it applicable to then present condition, however its neoclassical theme dominates over futurism, to think that Piacentini was also a futurist.

Just like this edifice also made by Piacentini, made in commemoration of the dead during the First World War, that arch tries to replicate the Roman past despite stressing futuristic design as well as the use of limestone to create a lasting, monumental edifice contrary to the use of Concrete and other modern materials that obviously tries to create the vision of the future.

In fact, the idea what Piacentini or Speer had tried to tries to bridge the past and the present by fusing the antiquated and the contemporary, but in looking at these monumental edifices, it was more of creating a stage that stresses racial purity and national greatness over supposed functions. To think that the Nazis saw architecture as a method of producing buildings that had a function, but also served a larger purpose. (citing Wikipedia) For example, the House of German Art had the function of housing art, but through its form, style and design it had the purpose of being a community structure built using an Aryan style, which acted as a kind of temple to acceptable German art. 

After all, it is neoclassicism in a modernist and futurist garb, that tries to look at the past than looking at the future, as well as the predominancy of idealism over reality through edifices, art, and perhaps fashion. As a writer, it is quite admiring to see monumental feats such as what Piacentini done, as well as the use of Greek and Roman fashion as idea for a female clothing inspired by Republican values; compared to the ones made in the United States whose architecture carries purpose over form such as this picture below, the building stresses the purpose as an administration office of the Federal Reserve.

Or even the skyscrapers and high-rise buildings that stresses purpose (such as offices, banks, hotels, residential complexes) other than reaching the skies in midst of the growing population in the urban areas. Some took inspiration from the past though, but it became depending on the school being lean upon thinking about the future come compared to the idea that looked entirely on the past and trying to preserve an idea that is monumental in appearance.

But then, sometimes the skyscrapers became often disastrous and devoid of meaning as edifices of commercialism. The original purpose had been negated in favor of creating for the nouveau riche and the trying hard ones in the city to the extent of ruining the image of cities and promoting uncontrolled development. That made this writer think how old houses, and old yet purpose-made classy edifices are being destroyed in favor of building edifices devoid of meaning and purpose other than "simply built" for sake such as commercial purposes. Such as this:

Made to tower Rizal's grave, quite disastrous so to see this.

Anyways, such ContemporAntiquated legacies like those from Europe tries to keep living and youthful by everyone's eyes. It's just that some tend to exaggerate something that end up lessen its purpose other than intimidation, that creating mass housing should be temple-like than utilitarian as it stresses symbolism. Remembering that those who look entirely at the past as basis for the future, such as Mussolini or Hitler often viewed as anti-modern and romantic or having a pragmatic willingness to use modern means in pursuit of anti-modern purposes. As according to Wikipedia:

"This confuses the Nazi's dislike of certain styles like the Bauhaus with a blanket dislike of all modern styles. This was based mainly on what the Bauhaus and others were seen as representing, like foreign influences or the decadence of the Weimar Republic."

Quite strange so to speak, to see such legacies as merely product of parochialism, tradition and a reaction from modernity; but then to this writer, such designs like those pictures shown rather tries to bridge everything that is in pursuit of preserving identity and heritage, that perhaps few ought to understand for the only culture they know is to consume.